Part CLIII: Stop Surprising Us
The drawbridge lowered fully but Ash, Misty, and May were all still gapping at the sight before them as it was possibly one of the last ones that they expected to ever see out here in this corner of Kalos. Even Max, Lyra and Khoury were stunned though the others with them were confused by it as they didn't recognize the pair standing on the other side smiling at them.
Serena was a little confused at the reaction of her friends and traveling companions as she looked from them to the pair that had been waiting on the other side and back again. She had no idea who they were but clearly the others did so she took a moment to study them.
One was a tall man with deeply tanned skin, slanted eyes, and spikey dark brown hair wearing an orange t-shirt with a green vest covered in pockets over it, brown pants with a few pouches on it and sneakers. He seemed pretty normal, with all his gear he gave off a bit of a breeder or groomer vibe to Serena, but it was the woman on his arm that really struck her.
That was because she was a strikingly attractive pale skinned woman with long black hair except for a few streaks of red on either side of the strands that framed her face and a sweep down from her fringe. She wore a purple halter top that accentuated her impressive bust and showed off her exposed, flat, stomach with matching purple wrappings that went from her wrists to her biceps, black pants held up by a thick, diamond pattern gold belt that was low on her hips and purple, high heeled, boots.
As Serena looked at the woman her red eyes met Serena's blue ones and she almost took a step back at how piercing and deadly the woman's gaze was, almost like a serpentine Pokémon about to strike despite the kindness in them. All this was in contrast to the warm smile on her face and most notably of all the ring on her left ring finger. Serena knew what an engagement ring was, and she had to admit, the flawless looking purple diamond on a black band that matched the woman's style was gorgeous. It was clearly an incredibly thoughtful ring.
"Brock?" Ash asked finally finding his voice as the group finally began to cross the bridge and make their way over to the pair. "What are you and Lucy doing here?"
"Brock?" Serena asked knowing the name at once as he'd been Ash's traveling companion for many years, traveling in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh with him, the latter two with May and Misty, respectively so she'd heard a lot about him first from May and later Ash and Misty over the course of the year. "This is the Brock I've heard so much about. Glad to have a face to the name at last."
"Guilty as charged." Brock said with a smile at his friends and the new people who Ash had no doubt befriended on his current journey like he always did. "Sorry for the surprise but…"
"Oh, you will be, why didn't you tell us you were here? You knew we were in Kalos." May said interrupting him and closing the distance Misty right behind her. "The last surprise we understand, we wouldn't have believed it without seeing it, and even then it's still hard to believe even with Lucy here."
"Yeah surprises are a bit much these days you know, they've been happening way too frequently this year minus the usual legendary encounter that Ash seems to always have." Misty said as they reached him. "So why hide this from us?"
"Wait, stop, hold on." Brock said as Lucy took her arm from his and stepped to the side as the two girls began to lightly punch his chest and drive him back into the courtyard as he raised his arms in surrender. "Lucy, darling, help me."
"Sorry dear, this was your idea so deal with it just I dealt with the last surprise as it was my request for it and totally worth it." Lucy said before turning to the group. "Hello again Ash, cockblock, new people I may or may not have met yet but who know Ash, I'm Lucy, the Pike Queen of the Battle Pike on the Kanto Battle Frontier and Brock's fiancée. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I guess it's up to me to explain why I'm here."
"Yeah that would be helpful." Ash said with a slow nod ignoring Brock's plight. "What are you two doing here? We weren't expecting to see you until we were next in Kanto, probably for your wedding knowing us."
"Cockblock?" Bonnie asked confused at the new word. "What's that?"
"That is Max and a concept you are too young for little one." Lucy said flushing at what she'd said around the small blonde girl with a small electric rodent, likely this region's version of a Pikachu or Plusle and Minun, in her back who couldn't be more than 10 or 11 at a glance. "Sorry, that was inappropriate of me to say around you, it's just, well, my first meeting with Max was him removing my future husband from my presence back when I first fell for him."
"Oh ok." Bonnie said deciding it was best to just ask Clemont about it later and understanding the feeling at least. "And don't worry pretty lady, Max does that to me all the time when I try to find a wife for Clemont. I would ask you, but you've already locked down a man so any tips for me that would be helpfully."
"I'll try if we have a moment." Lucy said with a smile at the peppy girl, she was certainly a bold one that was for sure.
"If what I've heard about Brock is true then you would definitely want to talk to this woman Bonnie." Serena said as Brock continued to be harassed by Misty and May and she ignored a blustering protest from Clemont. "Brock was a lot like you from what I've heard only for his own interests and not to look after a sibling, but he succeeded in the end which means you can as well because apparently Brock succeeding was unthinkable to Ash, May, and Misty."
"That he did though it took longer thanks to Max." Lucy said giving Max a glare that had not venom in it but was more to remind him of how he'd interfered in the past even if it had worked out in the end. "I fell for Brock when we first met and, well, Arceus saw to it that we'd meet again when he was assigned to a place near my location in southern Kanto and we ran into each other again. This time his chaperone gave me his blessing and the rest, they say, is history as we quickly became an item and while it was a little fast we know we are destined to be together forever so when he proposed several months ago I said yes."
"Cute." Shauna said enjoying the story but there were some back story needed to fully understand who this woman was as she had no idea who she or the man still being harassed by May and Misty was. "But, um, can you or Ash explain some stuff and, you know, properly introduce us."
"Oh yeah sorry, Lucy these are my new friends, and some old ones, friends Lucy." Ash said before pointing to each of them in turn. "The blonde is Serena, she's a traveling companion this year with me, Misty, and May. The blue haired girl is Miette, a friend and rival of Serena, as is Shauna the brunette in pink who just spoke. Her friends are Trevor, the redhead, and Tierno, the tall guy. The blonde siblings are Bonnie and Clemont, the latter is the Lumiose City Gym Leader and the former traveling with Max and Owen this year, Owen is the guy with the trunk. Lastly the couple who you may have met at the last party are Lyra and Khoury."
"Lyra, you're the one who lost to Ash in the Indigo Conference semis, right?" Lucy said as she shook hands with all of them, noting quickly that two had crushes on Ash as any woman in love can pick up on that, as she recognized the brunette in the hat who hailed from Johto. "I think I saw you at the party in Pallet Town though we didn't speak."
"Yes that's me." Lyra said as they shook. "So, as Ash said, what are you doing here?"
"Right probably for the best." Lucy said pointing to where Brock was now being cased around the courtyard by Misty and May with Piplup running behind them eager to join in with his trainer's fun while Croagunk just watched not bothering to help his own trainer. "The man there is my fiancé Brock, a student studying to become a Pokémon Doctor and about to do a major residence in Sinnoh next year. When I first met him he was an aspiring breeder traveling with Ash, May, and Max and he was once the Pewter City Gym Leader before he met Ash when Ash challenged it many years ago."
"That was early in my first journey." Ash said picking up the story. "My first ever gym battle in fact and there is a much longer story to that but after I'd gotten the badge and helped Brock and his father mend their relationship he left the gym to join Dawn and me on my journey and worked to find himself as a Pokémon breeder. He was with us through Kanto but when we went to the Orange Islands the next year after the Indigo Conference Brock stayed there to work with Professor Ivy."
"Yes not a woman I'm a fan of, and who Brock's reaction to her name is to curl in the fetal position and ask not to hear it again, so she's not a threat to me even if I want to know what the hell happened there out of sheer curiosity." Lucy said knowing the story of Brock's adventures with Ash well as he'd told her all their tales over the last year and a half together. "And he returned to Pallet Town where he helped Ash's mother out until Ash, Dawn and their new friend Tracey returned. Then Tracey stayed behind to become Professor Oak's assistant while Brock resumed his journey with Ash and Dawn as they went to the Johto region."
"Yup and for the next 4 years Brock was with me throughout everything." Ash said with a nod. "Even when Dawn had to leave to take over the Cerulean Gym when we were done in Johto, Brock stayed with me into Hoenn where he met May and later Max and they joined us for our time there before join us in Brock and mine's home region of Kanto as I challenged the Battle Frontier and May joined the Kanto Contest Circuit for the year."
"Battle Frontier?" Tierno asked as the others listened intently to the story picking up on the second time that the term had been used. "What's that?"
"I'll explain it as I am part of it." Lucy said taking over again. "It is a private Pokémon battle league owned and run by a man called Scott who loves Pokémon battles. He personally recruits trainers for it, and monitors them as they face what are called Frontier Brains in a set order. There are 7 of us and each of us do things a little differently that challenge trainers in their own ways. I'm pretty straightforward as for me a trainer simple faces me in a two-on-two battle though I don't use defensive moves so with me their challenge is how to handle pure and overwhelming offense."
"You don't use defensive moves?" Clemont asked surprised. "That seems a bit risky, defensive and status moves have their place in a battle as well."
"They do but for me I've always been about offense, striking hard and fast before a trainer can try to use those kinda moves." Lucy said with a grin. "It works well because of how well trained my serpentine Pokémon are, that's the other thing with me I'm a physiological specialist not a type though I am licensed to take over the Fuchsia Gym as an emergency leader so long as I only use poison types should I be needed there which happened last year. The other things a trainer might face on the Frontier are things like odd terrains, double battles in a packed arena, rental Pokémon, and what not. Means that on the Frontier you have to adapt and deal with all sorts."
"And they're like gym battles?" Trevor asked interested by the concept. "Though clearly a little different. We do have variations, most are three on three, but Olympia does double battles, Viola and Valerie are two on two, and Grant doesn't limit his opponents though he only uses 2 Pokémon. All are battles are at least on standard battlefields even if Grant's is atop a climbing wall thing, Ramos's is in a tree, and Wulfric's is ice. I'm not sure what odd terrains mean or how a rental battle works."
"They mean a full swath of an island, so we were fighting in a jungle and constantly on the move." Ash said. "That was Spenser at the Battle Palace. As for rental, I can't speak as I face Noland using a wild Articuno with my Charizard, first time I ever beat a legendary in a battle."
"Wait you beat a legendary Pokémon?" Trevor asked his eyes wide as he turned to Ash.
"At least 4 legendary or mythical Pokémon in fact." Ash said thinking back on it. "Articuno, Regice, Darkrai, and Latios though the final one was a tie that resulted in my overall loss in the semifinals of the Lily of the Valley Conference out in Sinnoh."
"Ash's battle with Noland is, pardon the bad pun, legendary on the Frontier and as Ash pointed out odd terrain means fighting in a jungle in a three-on-three match while Scott and your friends watch from a balloon." Lucy said. "On the Frontier you face us in an order and aren't told the next location until you win against the one you are currently on, and you can have as many goes as you'd like. I ended up needing two goes three times and three against Brandon at the end when I was on the Frontier many years ago."
"Wait you were once on it?" Max asked a little confused.
"Well yes, how else did you think I became a Frontier Brain? You only get the offer if you beat it." Lucy said before deciding to drop a little something more for Max given the one big connection they had. "And I'm actually technically a countrywoman to you and May as I'm from Fallarbor Town in Hoenn."
"Wait you're a Hoennite?" Max asked shocked. "I never realized though with your Pokémon choices I should have guessed."
"I don't advertise it and I've spent most of my trainer career in Kanto as a Frontier Brain but yes I am from Hoenn, and my family still lives there." Lucy said with a nod. "I spent my first year as a trainer in Hoenn honing my style, challenging gyms there, beat your father in fact on my first attempt, and even went to the final of the Evergrande Conference as a rookie before I lost to Phoebe who is now on the Elite Four there."
"Woah that's impressive." Lyra said. "My first Conference wasn't that successful though after a semifinal appearance in my second I know I can make it this time around."
"It was a good showing, but I wanted to win it all so after that I went to Kanto for a year and struck up a rivalry with Janine who would become the Fuchsia Gym Leader." Lucy said understanding the desire to go for the win after a loss well. "We met in the semifinals of the Indigo Conference that year and I won before losing in my second straight final. After that Scott approached me and I agreed to take on the Frontier. By the time I'd finished it and was offered the chance to become a Frontier Brain I realized that that was what I wanted and settled down, setting up the Battle Pike where it is now near Fuchsia City, much to Janine's annoyance."
"Fascinating." Max said adjusting his glasses as he absorbed Lucy's story. "A typical journey though one that ended differently to most with you as a Frontier Brain."
"And that is where I met Lucy." Ash said. "I faced her on the Battle Frontier though the Battle Pike was supposed to be closed the day I arrived which was annoying as I was eager for the upcoming battle."
"Yes, um, I made an exception because I wanted to have Brock around more because I'd already started to fall for him." Lucy said nervously her cheeks going red which shocked many present given her poise and presence didn't fit with the blushing girl in love look but she clearly was that. "And it was a great battle, just the way I like them."
"That it was, my 4th and then it was onto the Battle Palace to face Spenser." Ash said. "I'd end up finishing the Frontier though it took 2 goes with Anabel and 3 with Brandon to win but I turned down the offer to become a Frontier Brain as I wanted to keep traveling and win a League Conference. After that I went to Sinnoh with Brock while Max returned to Hoenn, and May went to Johto to complete her own journey as a coordinator."
"Brock asked me to join them, something unique as in the past he'd offer to stay which means I am special, but I had my duties to the Battle Frontier, so I stayed until Brock returned to my life." Lucy said. "Well, that and Max again got in the way, but I couldn't go regardless. Then I got to meet everyone again when Brock brought me to Ash's party to show off his fiancée, I was in Unova catching Pokémon when Ash and Misty were in Fuchsia last year so I couldn't be revealed then. It was a big shock to everyone."
"We're still processing it." Lyra said while Khoury just nodded in agreement at that. "Khoury and I met Brock in Sinnoh, so we know how he used to be."
"As surprising as it is, Brock did manage to find a woman because I am that woman." Lucy said. "And it was a fun party with the battles the day after. That is a battle I'll never forget, it was even better than my battle against Ash in the Battle Pike, and one I was honored to have been able to have."
"Huh?" Serena asked a bit confused. "You battled Ash again after his party?"
"No, Ash and Max have a traditional battle to kick that day's festivities off apparently." Lucy said with a grin. "I battled and unlike you, as I can tell you're one of them Serena, I actually beat Misty even if our battle wasn't about what you and, Miette was it, battled her about."
"Perceptive on that front." Miette said with a nod as Serena went bright red and Ash just looked confused not knowing what was going on. "I respect that."
"A girl with one, especially one who thought she'd never see him again so thought she'd lost, knows how to spot another." Lucy said. "But yes my battle was with Misty, and I was the one who challenged her almost as soon as I met her in fact because I wanted to face her and test myself in a way only she could test me. Well Cynthia can as well but she's the only other person and the Sinnoh Champion so harder to have it than with Misty."
"Oh yeah I remember that match against Dane." Lyra said recalling it well while Lucy looked confused at the name before looking to the others who just shook their heads to indicate that they too didn't know. "It was a really good battle to watch."
"Wait why did you face Misty?" Serena asked.
"Because I, above anyone else, knows what that symbol on her arm means." Lucy said pointing to it as Misty and May continued to chase Brock for not telling them that he was around showing that all three had impressive cardio given that they'd been doing this the entire time. "The one she wears in that cuff on her right bicep."
"Oh yeah what is it?" Shauna asked. "I saw it before but it's alien to me."
"Same." Trevor said while Tierno nodded even though he'd only just met Misty today.
"That's because it can only be gotten in one place in Kanto." Lucy said as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a brown circle with an etching in it similar to the one that Misty had one display at all times. "Look familiar?"
They all looked at it and gasped. It was exactly like the one that Misty wore on her arm with one key difference, the engraving. The one that Lucy was showing them had a hexagonal design on it with two long, vertical, sides and smaller triangular parts on the top and bottom while the one on Misty's arm had a large cut out in the middle in the form of a rough tower.
"This is the Frontier Symbol that I give to those who defeat me in the Battle Pike in official battles." Lucy said before putting it back in her pocket once she was sure everyone had seen it. "When I joined and chose the name for my Frontier Brain, the title Pike Queen was given to me by my assistants, I created this as my symbol and chose the attribute I want to associate with."
"Attribute?" Khoury asked. "That's different from what the gym badges Lyra earns mean, those are just about the type she faces."
"Each symbol has an attribute that a trainer must have in battle to win so we all have one and as such our symbols are named after our attribute." Lucy explained. "For me, the attribute is luck hence it's called the Luck Symbol."
"Fascinating." Owen said getting in on it. "And the other attributes? What are they?"
"At the time Ash faced the Frontier the attributes were, in order of when you faced the Frontier Brain, knowledge, guts, tactics, luck, spirit, ability, and bravery." Lucy said. "Though Spenser calls his the Spirits Symbol and Brandon was the Brave Symbol. Since then, Brandon has retired, and we have a new Frontier Brain who took the attribute of determination. When I faced the frontier the attributes of resilience and patience."
"And which one is the one on Misty's arm?" Shauna asked.
"Ability." Lucy said. "Anabel, who joined after me but because of her skills and the challenge she poses quickly became a latter Brain than I was, I am now the 5th a challenger faces by the way thanks to Brandon's retirement and a new Frontier Brain being added in the wake of it, set up her location near Cremeni Town right on the Johto border. She is the Salon Maiden of the Battle Tower who victors win the Ability Symbol. That is what Misty wears on her arm."
"That's it, that's what Misty called it." Serena said recalling it from her talk with Misty back in Santalune City. "She faced Anabel in one of her many specific kinds of battle, a battle she wasn't supposed to win."
"Correct and at the time of their battle, about this time last year, Scott was in town, so Anabel requested that it be official, a first for her." Lucy said. "Though given the full context it makes perfect sense in hindsight."
"I was wondering about that." Max said. "I noticed it on Misty at the party and knew that it couldn't be Ash's so how did she win it when not on the circuit?"
"So long as Scott is around, we are in our set locations, and we abide by our set rules then Scott will allow a non-challenger the chance to have an official battle." Lucy said. "It's rare, I've only done it once with my rival Janine back when she took over the Fuchsia Gym for her father, which she won, but it can be done. Scott does love battles so he's very easy going on this front. Anabel had never requested it and when she did she was now the final Frontier Brain which added to it, so when I saw it on a coordinator who wasn't on the Frontier in the finals of the Grand Festival when Brock and I watched it I had to call up Anabel because it shocked me."
"It certainly wasn't expected." Ash said recalling the match well, it was one of the most surprise filled matches he'd ever watched. "Though I now understand why it occurred, Anabel told me afterwards, and how Misty won it the way she did."
"And this Anabel, she's supposed to be hard to beat if I recall what Misty said to me during our little chat." Miette said thinking back to her confrontation with Misty a few months back. "Right?"
"Of all of us she was the one who should have beaten Misty in the battle we've all had with her for closure or in your case to prove she's the dominant one as you see it Miette." Serena said. "She has a strange power if I recall."
"Correct and that is what makes her so tough to face in battle, she beat me first time when she challenged the Frontier herself." Lucy said with a nod. "She's an empath so can communicate with Pokémon mentally via emotions. As such she doesn't need to verbally give commands in battle which makes her hard to anticipate as you don't know what is coming until the move is used. Add in that she's a psychic specialist and she's a real challenge to face. That was why I was shocked to see a coordinator with her symbol on her arm, one I knew wasn't on the circuit as I hadn't faced her. I already knew who Misty was because of Brock so that added to it all."
"Dane won?" Lyra asked. "Against someone like that? I met Anabel at the party and on the Plateau, but I didn't realize that she was that strong."
"More Misty outmaneuvered Anabel into forcing her to forfeit, a feat that should have been impossible." Lucy said to the stunned reaction of those not in the know of how it happened. "There was only one way it could have happened, and Misty had that way, a one in 100 chance of the stars aligning for her to win over Anabel and she managed it. You see, Anabel has a set order for her Pokémon but because Misty has an Espeon, which is Anabel's strongest and oldest as well, she changed it up against Misty so that their Espeons could face first. From there all Misty had to do was get to the final matchup of the three-on-three battle to win."
"And she managed it?" Khoury asked. "Like Lyra I met Anabel at the Indigo Conference and the party at Ash's afterwards, she may be unassuming, but I could tell how skilled she was."
"Misty needed to ensure that her Shuppet at the time was able to face Anabel's second Pokémon, a Metagross, for her plan to work as that was the key matchup that the whole battle hinged on." Ash said. "And as a ghost type it managed it after beating Anabel's Espeon following it beating Misty's. As a result, Shuppet evolved and then Misty used Destiny Bond to take Metagross with her when Banette fainted. It was the only way to force the final matchup that was going to be in Misty's favor from the start. I'm sure you all know which Pokémon Misty would use against a psychic specialist, which is best for that."
"Her Spiritomb." Max said realizing everything now as he recalled Anabel's Alakazam, the one Pokémon not yet mentioned meaning that it had to be the one Misty faced last, from its battles with Ash that he'd seen. "A ghost and dark type, the ultimate against a psychic type unless it had a second type that helped, and this was last year before you revealed fairy types to the world, so those moves weren't realized at the time."
"Correct." Ash said. "And Anabel's last Pokémon was her Alakazam, a pure psychic type that at the time only knew psychic and fighting type moves."
"Oh." Max said the first to grasp it though Owen didn't seem too far behind but that was likely due to his personal experience facing Misty's Spiritomb. "Spiritomb is immune to both of those types as well as normal and resistant to poison. If Misty managed to force that matchup she couldn't lose. The only option Anabel would have had in that situation was to forfeit."
"She did and it was Anabel's training mistake that allowed for it in the end, that kind of matchup will not work a second time as Anabel has corrected it and in the process ensured that she has another counter for dark types." Lucy said. "But Misty did it when no one else could using strange, unexpected, tactics and Pokémon that no one saw coming but then again no one sees a Spiritomb coming in a battle. It could only be done with that kind of lineup, with a Pokémon knowing Destiny Bond, at that moment otherwise Misty wouldn't have won hence the one in 100 chance. When Anabel explained all this to me, well I couldn't resist challenging Misty."
"And you beat her." Miette said impressed that someone beat Misty even if it wasn't someone who's battle with Misty had been like her own battle with the Sinnoh girl. "That must have been some battle."
"It sure was especially considering my request at the start." Lucy said with a grin. "I wanted a proper two on two battle like how I have them in the Battle Pike and if Misty had won I think Scott may have allowed me to give her a Luck Symbol as she now has a standing offer to challenge the Frontier and all Brains can accept a battle challenge from her as an official battle so long as Scott is around, but I wanted something different. You see, there is a little rivalry between us Frontier Brains and, well, when I learned that Anabel hadn't even been able to face a Pokémon as rare as Spiritomb, let alone even face one to begin with, well, I had to request it."
"Wait." Owen said his eyes now wide. "You faced Misty's Spiritomb and beat it? You're the one who managed it? I've faced it, I requested it because of how rare it is, and I know that it's something else especially with how Misty uses it. It, well he because she knows his gender, beat my Passimian and forced me to recall my Obstagoon and forfeit despite having some advantages because I couldn't best her tactics or how Spiritomb fought with Phantom Force as a defensive move to get into position to attack from any angle. She said only one person has ever beaten him, it's an honor to meet that person."
"Misty has picked up some tactics from Ash." Max said recalling the battles he'd seen her engage in and noting some of Ash's more out of the box thinking in them at times. "But that battle in Pallet Town was a tough one for her because Lucy is a different battler entirely and with a style that works well against a Spiritomb even if you don't have a fairy type move."
"I didn't and didn't want to use it anyway, I wanted to face it as it was before the reveal when Anabel faced it." Lucy said. "And with 3 immunities, one resistance, and no weaknesses in the battle the only way you beat a Spiritomb is overwhelming brute force from offensive moves which is exactly my style."
"So how did you beat it?" Owen asked clearly curious. "Without using a fairy type move that is."
"Technically I didn't beat it." Lucy admitted surprising those who hadn't seen the battle for themselves. "I faced it first with my main Pokémon in Seviper but lost so I used my Eelektross, it and its earlier forms are the only Pokémon remaining with no weaknesses short of a Pokémon with a ground type move and the Mold Breaker ability due to its type and ability combination. Even then that Spiritomb is one tough Pokémon and it survived two more attacks causing Misty to use its final move, the one she'd never used in battle before or since I hope. That is the saving grace of it, I'm still the only person to force Misty to use that move."
"She used it in a Showcase freestyle but not battle." Ash confirmed. "You are still the only person to have forced her to use it in a battle."
"Well that I can take." Lucy said while most looked confused, so she explained. "Misty's Spiritomb's fourth and final move is Curse which when used by a ghost type drains half the health of the Pokémon using it in order to put a curse on its opponent that will cause it to faint within 4 moves. If the Pokémon using curse has already lost more than half its health, well, it faints. In a two-on-two battle with me on my second and Misty her first a move like that is a sacrificial move to give her an edge. That's how I beat her Spiritomb, but I don't really count it. I won the second matchup against her Typhlosion in an all-out brawl that was thrilling."
"After losing to her myself and knowing how many battles she's won recently it is amazing to hear of Misty losing." Miette said. "She did mention that she'd lost a normal battle in the last year and now that I'm thinking back on it I think she did mention it was to you but as I didn't have a face to the name I forgot it."
"It was a standard battle, so Lucy had the edge." Ash said. "But yeah that sums up how we know each other but not why she's here. That is still unaccounted for."
"Oh, I'm here scouting for honeymoon locations." Lucy said. "Brock and I have decided that we're going to get married at the end of next year and then come here or go to Alola for our honeymoon so we're seeing the regions now to decide. He's got a placement in Oreburgh City in a few months for a year, so he'll be there while I run the Battle Pike for one more year before we get married and decide what is next for us. Right now, there is only one more person for me to face this year and she's still on the third Frontier Brain, so I have some time hence why we came out to Kalos to scout locations and should have time to see Alola as well."
"That explains Kalos but why here?" Max asked. "This seems a bit out of the way given what else is in the region."
"Well Brock wanted to see you guys in the Wallace Cup and enter it himself for old times' sake as he's done a Contest before where he lost to May in the finals." Lucy said deciding not to add that it was to impress a woman who then turned him down to mentor some girl called Mollie who incidentally ended up being one of the few who managed to beat Misty the year before in a battle and who just so happened to be in Kalos right now as well. "So, we were around when we ran into Aria in Snowbelle as she made her way here for the party."
"Wait Aria invited you personally?" Serena asked stunned by that. "Why would she do that?"
"A Queen knows a Queen." Lucy said simply. "I know who the Kalos Queen is, and she knows I'm the Pike Queen so she invited me and Brock to this to have two Queens present and, well, I couldn't resist. When we learned that at least Ash, Misty, and May would be here Brock decided to surprise you."
"Yes which was good, but can we go in now." Brock yelled as he finally returned panting and bruised from May and Misty who had finally stopped chasing him as they were too exhausted to do so anymore. "We should register and get ready for the event."
"Right, I need to find a dress that I actually look good in, they aren't my style." Lucy said. "Though I am looking forward to wearing a white wedding dress when that day comes."
"Yes let's go in." Serena said. "We can have a full girls chat when we start getting ready and this will take time given the options we will have."
The others just nodded as they all headed into the main building of the chateau. It was time to register and get ready while fate had its own plans for some of them.
